Pivoted flaring tool with tube gripping means



Nov. l5, 1955 F. c. EvANs ETAL 2,723,703

I PIVOTED FLARING TOOL. WITH TUBE GRIPPING MEANS- Filed Aug. 12, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 llllllllllllflllllll IN V EN TORS F. C. EVAN S J. J BARTA www.

ATTORNEY Nov. l5, 1955 F. c. EVANS ETAL 2,723,703

PIVOTED FLARING TOOL WITH TUBE GRIPPING MEANS IN VEN TORS F. C. EVANS J. J. BARTA BY ATTORNEY 2,723,703 Patented Nov. 15,1955,

PIVOTED FLARING TGL WITH TUBE GRIPPING MEANS Francis C. Evans, Richmond, N..I Y., and` Joseph J. Barta, Ridgefield Park, N. J., assignors to American District Telegraph Company, Jersey City, N.. I., a corporation of N ewA Jersey Application August 12, 19.52, Serin No. 303,938 zclaims- (c1. rsa-19t` This invention relates to ilaring tools and more particularly to tools for imparting a are or flange to the end of relatively soft metal tubing.

The object of the invention is to provide a tool for accomplishing the foregoing purposes which includes means for holding a tube against movement, together with means for imparting a are to the end of the tube.

Another object is to provide a tool made up of a vise frame having a xed jaw and a movable jaw slidably mounted thereon, together with a pointed mandrel-like member movable to engage the end of the tube held by the vise and to spread the same into a flange or flare.

Another object of the invention is to provide a tool as before described in which two handle members operate the tool to provide sequential gripping of the tube andaring of the end thereof.

A further object of the invention is to provide a tool as before described in which sequential movement of the various parts is obtained by properly biased springs associated with the mechanism.

Other features, objects and advantages of the invention will be readily understood by reference to the following detailed description of the accompanying drawings, wherein- Fig. l is a plan view of a hand operated tool embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a side View thereof;

Fig. 3 is an end view of the device;

Fig. 4 is a section taken substantially on the line 4 4 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a section taken substantially on the line 5-5 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 2 showing a length of tubing held in the vise of the tool; p

Fig. 7 is a similar View showing the aring mandrel engaging the tube; and

Fig. 8 is a view partially in vertical section of the tubing after being processed by the tool of this invention.

Referring to the drawings, 10 indicates a frame of a vise made of suitable metal and principally of generally flat construction with a right angular integral fixed jaw 11. Secured to one surface of the frame 10 is a slideway 12 hollowed out to receive the slide 14, to one end of which isI secured a jaw complementary to the jaw 11. The slideway 12 has a lateral ear 16, the purpose of which will be described later. Secured to the outer edge of jaw 11 y is a second slideway which holds captive a substantially I-shaped slide 21, the ears 22 and 24 of which limit sliding movement of the slide. The end of the slide adjacent the ears 24 is bent at right angles to form a support 25 to which is secured a tapered, pointed plunger or mandrel 26. A leaf spring 27 has one end thereof Asecured to the lateral ear 16 while the other end thereof is forked to surround the mandrel 26. This spring is so biased that in normal condition slide 21 is forced away from the vise jaws 11 and 15.

A lateral extension of the vise frame 10 is provided with a through opening for -the reception of a pin 30 ,about 2Q whiclr` are pivotedi` two handle members; 3L, andi 32. Handle: member 312 terminates: in. arounded:` topi end 34 with alateral protrusion from. which. extends astud: 3S fitting in a= properly shaped recess.: 36inV the slide.14.., spring 37 has one endi secured to a; part of the: handle 31' while, the other'- end, is; secured. toy a. part Qi the handle 32, as; shown. clearly; in Fig:f 2.

The handle 32' has. arr extension, 40: from one-Iside. of

lwhich extends; a stud 41 normally bearing againstaorA in close. proximity` to; angleextension; 25( of slide 21..,

The: jaws 1x1- and 15 are provided with longitudinal lsemi-circular` recesses; 501 and 51 respectively-the outer Tends of which are flared outwardly as indicated-bythe boundary lines 5,2; andi 54:Y respectiseky,` ofFig. 5., The surfaces of these semi-circular recesses S0 and 51 are ment of the handles toward each other will cause rotation of handle member 31 relative to vise frame 10 before i rotation of handle member 32.

When it is desired to impart a are such as indicated at 60 to a length of tubing 61, such length of tubing is introduced into the vise to tit in the semi-circular recess 50 of the Xed jaw 11 with one end of the tubing extending a short distance beyond the end of the jaw as shown in Fig. 6. If the operator then manually compresses the handles 31 and 32 toward each other, the first movement as the result of manual compression rotates handle 31 about the fulcrum pin 30 thereby causing slide 14 to be moved to force vise jaw 15 into substantial contact with vise jaw 11, or at least into such relation to this jaw as to cause the tube 61 to be gripped by the serrations 65 in the tube jaw recesses. This condition is shown clearly in Fig. 6. Further compression of these handles toward each other will cause movement of handle member 32 about the fulcrum pin forcing the extension 40 thereof toward the vise and causing the stud 41 to move the slide 21 toward the vise jaws with the result that as this compression of the handles continues the pointed mandrel or arer 26 engages the end of the tube gripped in the vise and expands this end outwardly into the shape shown in Fig. 8. Release of manual compression of the handles restores the parts to the Fig. 2 position at which time the length of tubing can be removed with its end ared for engagement with suitable fittings as is well known in the tube art.

While the present tool has been described as being a manually operable tool, it will be readily apparent that the same mechanism can be embodied in a power operated mechanism so long as the sequential steps described herein are accomplished.

The invention is to be limited only by the scope of the following claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A tool of the type described, comprising a vise frame having a iXed jaw, a movable jaw slidably secured to said frame, a ilaring mandrel slidably secured to said fixed jaw for rectilinear motion relative thereto, the confronting faces of said jaws being shaped to hold a tube therebetween, a pin carried by said vise frame, first and second handle members pivotally carried by said pin, one end of each of said handle members being arranged to be placed operatively in contact with a respective one of said aring mandrel and said movable jaw upon pivoting of the other ends of said handle members toward each other thereby lto cause said movable jaw and said iixed jaw to grip a tube and to cause movement of the mandrel into the end of the tube so gripped, and means to cause the motion of the movable jaw to occur before the motion of the mandrel, said last mentioned means comprising a first spring arranged to oppose said motion of the mandrel and a second spring biased to be weaker than said first spring and arranged to oppose said motion of the movable jaw.

2. A aring tool for sequentially gripping a tube adjacent one end thereof and for flaring the gripped end of the tube, comprising a viseframe having a xed jaw, a movable jaw slidably secured to said frame, a aring mandrel slidably secured to said fixed jaw for rectilinear motion relative thereto, the confronting faces of said jaws being shaped to hold the tube therebetween, a pin carried by said vise frame, first and second handle members pivotally carried by said pin, one end of each of said handle members being arranged to be placed operatively in contact with a respective one of said aring mandrel and said movable jaw upon pivoting of the other ends of said handle members toward each other thereby to cause said movable jaw and said fixed jaw to grip the tube and to cause movement of the mandrel into the end of the ltube so gripped, a rst spring member intercoupling said mandrel and said vise frame and arranged to oppose said motion of the mandrel, and a second spring member intercoupling said handle members and arranged to oppose pivoting of said other ends of said handle members toward each other, said second spring member being biased so as to be weaker than said rst spring member whereby said motion of said movable jaw into engagement with the tube occurs before said motion of said mandrel into the end of the tube.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

